Feeding your neighbors and the world

Now that it’s Thanksgiving, the eating season has begun. Coming up we’ll take a look at how the U.S. helps feed the world, but first, let’s take a look in our own back yard. The local food banks, pantries, shelters and soup kitchens have picked up in business. KBIA’s Ben Mahnken reports that volunteerism and donations are up this year.

Now we take the big jump from feeding our neighbors, to feeding the world. The U.S. is the world’s leading corn producer and exporter, meeting a demand driven by the growing middle class in China, India and other countries where people want to eat more meat. Those countries import livestock feed made from Midwestern grain.

But as Amy Mayer reports for Harvest Public Media, when it comes to feeding the world, corn alone won’t cut it.